Connecticut Food Bank Pop-Up Pantries Set
for Friday and Saturday in Meriden and Torrington
Pop-Up Pantry Helps Move “Fresh Foods Fast” into Community
WALLINGFORD, CONN., January 17, 2019 – The Connecticut Food Bank today announced two Pop-Up Pantry sites for Friday and Saturday. On Friday from 1:30PM to 2:00PM, the Pop-Up Pantry will be in Meriden, at New Opportunities of Greater Meriden, 74 Cambridge Street. On Saturday from 11:00AM to 12:00PM, the Pop-Up Pantry will be in Torrington, at the First Congregational Church, 835 Riverside Avenue.
The Connecticut Food Bank Pop-Up Pantry is aimed at getting “fresh foods fast” to people in need, said Connecticut Food Bank CEO Bernie Beaudreau. “We are currently able to get additional foods into the community and we are working with partners to quickly schedule pop-up sites to supplement all the foods we distribute through our network of partner agencies and our regularly scheduled Mobile Pantry.”
Beaudreau said the timing is important because the food bank is beginning to see increased demand for food from people affected by the federal government partial shutdown. “We know that there are furloughed employees in Connecticut and employees working without pay. They are beginning to feel the strain on their budgets and are reaching out for help.” Beaudreau said that people participating in the SNAP program, formerly known as “food stamps,” are also affected.
“SNAP has always been a partial solution for people in need,” Beaudreau said. “Now the shutdown is disrupting the SNAP fund distribution schedule and people are reaching out to us with concern that they may not be able to stretch their assistance as far as usual. Our partner agencies are seeing the impact as well.”
Beaudreau said that partner agency WHEAT in West Haven has fielded calls from people worried about what will happen after the early issuance of February SNAP benefits, as well as from other agencies in their community reaching out to discuss referrals of people to the WHEAT pantry because of an increase in requests for food.
WHEAT Executive Director Rose Majestic told the food bank that they “have been getting calls about when the Mobile Pantry is at Vertical Church [in West Haven] – more people need extra food.”
Beaudreau said the Connecticut Food Bank Mobile Pantry makes 46 scheduled monthly stops, which are listed on www.ctfoodbank.org/mobilepantry. The Pop-Up Pantry sites are scheduled as additional foods are available and announced to the media and on the Connecticut Food Bank Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram platforms. “Visitors to ctfoodbank.org may also use the pantry locator tool to find one of our partner programs near them,” Beaudreau said.
About the Connecticut Food Bank:
The Connecticut Food Bank is committed to alleviating hunger in Connecticut by providing food resources, raising awareness of the challenges of hunger, and advocating for people who need help meeting basic needs. The Connecticut Food Bank partners with the food industry, food growers, donors, and volunteers to distribute nutritious food to people in need. Last year through a network of nearly 700 community-based programs, the Connecticut Food Bank distributed enough food to provide more than 20.3 million meals. The Connecticut Food Bank provides food in six Connecticut counties – Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, and Windham counties – where nearly 300,000 people struggle with hunger. Visit us on the web at www.ctfoodbank.org, like us on Facebook and follow @CTFoodBank on Twitter and Instagram.
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